


don’t know how to say this (you’re really my dearest friend)

by SapphireOcean (JujYFru1T)



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: A Fruits Basket zine | Tumblr: zinefruitsbasket, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29409999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JujYFru1T/pseuds/SapphireOcean
Summary: Arisa's on a mission, Tohru lends a hand, and Hana has a secret.
Relationships: Hanajima Saki/Uotani Arisa, Honda Tohru & Uotani Arisa
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	don’t know how to say this (you’re really my dearest friend)

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's? :D I wrote this fic for a Fruits Basket zine put together by the lovely @julzlajulzjulz on Twitter. Forever grateful for the non-canon ship allowance that let me write about my bestest Best Girls. This is also (going to be) a companion fic to a WIP featuring my fav Furuba ship. Try to guess. Just try.
> 
> Title from Jenny by the Studio Killers, because how could I not (it's so gay!!!! go listen!!!!!!)

On a February morning, Uotani Arisa woke up with an excess of energy. She dressed efficiently, pulling on a recently-bought coat (purple, with a fleece-lined collar), made sure there were instructions for the leftovers in the fridge, and left for Kaibara High with a lilt in her stride.

Not even the red decorations and explosions of hearts on nearly every storefront could dampen Arisa's mood, and she regarding the ads for chocolate (discount and otherwise) as a personal challenge. Chocolates were easy to make; store-bought chocolate was for unimaginative, lazy losers.

Rounding the corner, she spotted Tohru and Hana waiting at a crosswalk and jogged to catch up. "Yo," she said with a wave.

"Good morning, Uo-chan!" said Tohru, smiling brightly.

"Good morning," Hana echoed, nodding. It was warm enough that she could wear her lace gloves.

The light changed, and they stepped off the curb.

"Is that a new coat?" Hana adjusted her own, edged with lace around the collar. "It's a flattering color on you, Uotani."

"Hana-chan's right," said Tohru. "You should wear purple more often."

"Jeez, you'll make me blush." She chuckled, remembering how she'd felt looking at her reflection. "But I do look good, don't I? Not as—" She cut off what had been about to come out with a cough. "Not that I don't always, obviously."

_Not as good as you, Saki._

Her near slip-up didn't dent her mood either. After all, Hana liked her coat.

_Today's gonna be great._

~~~~~

Around lunchtime, amid chatter from her classmates about chocolate brands and chocolate ingredients and how many gifts the Prince would get, Arisa's mood had changed from determined to panic-struck.

_Goddamn it, what am I doing?! I'm such a loser._

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" she asked Tohru as they left the classroom for the cafeteria. Hana was (Arisa looked over her shoulder) talking with Carrots, of all people.

Tohru barely agreed before Arisa dragged her out of the crowd with an iron grip.

"You gotta help me," Arisa said, far more frantically than she'd intended. "There's-" she swallowed some words, "someone I like, and I wanna make chocolate and I have no idea how!"

Tohru's confused expression gave way to pure joy. "Uo-chan, how exciting! Of course I'll help."

"But I!" She shut her mouth, opened it again, and sighed, feeling the adrenaline leave her. "I can't decide whether Valentine's or White Day would be better."

Tohru blinked. She stepped forward, raising a gentle hand to Arisa's arm. "Is the person you like a girl?" she said, almost too soft to hear.

Cringing inwardly, Arisa nodded. She blinked at her arm being squeezed.

"You should do it whenever you like," Tohru said, voice firm.

Arisa stared. A smile took over her face without warning, and she scratched the back of her neck with a short laugh. If Tohru knew which girl…? "I guess I should stick with Valentine's. If I survive that long."

"Valentine's it is," Tohru replied with a giggle. "How about this Friday?"

"What about Friday?"

Arisa didn't yelp when Hana appeared. She _did_ startle and say, "Nothing!" louder than necessary.

Tohru started walking, seemingly unaware. "I'm getting a head start on tomo-chocolates, and Uo-chan wanted to learn how to make some."

"Alas," Hana said, voice distant over Arisa's ringing ears, "I would join you both, but I have a prior engagement."

"That's too bad," Arisa said, shakily. "You'll miss out on me making a fool of myself."

"Don't be silly, Uo-chan," Tohru said, beaming.

"You're the least foolish person I know," Hana added.

Arisa dearly hoped she wasn't blushing.

~~~~~

Hana had once said that her wave-reading didn't reveal romantic intentions. Still, after asking Tohru for help Arisa couldn't shake the feeling that there was now a sign on her back announcing just that, never mind what her waves were doing. Hana didn't comment, and Arisa wasn't going to question why.

The shift in Arisa's feelings toward Hana had crept up on her over the new year; she still didn't know what the catalyst had been. All she knew was that February had stolen any chance of keeping them buried and there was only one thing to do. The thought of shoving those feelings back down now was infinitely more painful than the possibility of getting rejected.

But was that worth the change it might cause in their relationship? Just putting the confession out there would change things, even if Hana was gracious and Arisa was understanding. She _had_ made peace with that possibility, hadn't she?

On the way to Tohru's house her mind had remained quiet, thanks to daydreaming about perfectly-made chocolates. She'd managed to keep most of her cool around Hana after the Monday incident. Small talk with Tohru while she got settled further filled the time; writer guy was in his study, the Prince and Carrots were AWOL and hadn't had the decency to inform Tohru why, but the soft look on her face when she mentioned how quiet they'd been lately seemed to mean she wasn't concerned.

Arisa had _plenty_ to think of. But as soon as Tohru began telling her what equipment to get and what to put where, all those pesky concerns came back. Well! She'd beat them back with the power of _knowledge._

Having failed to notice whether Hana had a preference or if she loved all kinds of chocolate with equal fervor, Arisa figured two-in-one was a safe bet. Thus, white and dark. Tohru, in her infinite wisdom, said that chocolate bark would be a good choice. And so Arisa had meticulously followed directions up to this point, where the makings for one bowl each of white and dark were ready to be melted.

"Thank god I asked you for help," she said for the twentieth time as she carried one bowl to the stove. "This would've been a disaster otherwise."

"I'm sure you would have been okay," Tohru responded for the twenty-first time, carrying the other bowl. She set it down with a smile. "Now for the fun part."

It was rather meditative, waiting for the mixture to melt enough to be stirrable. She found herself counting bubbles despite the thoughts bubbling up in her brain; she couldn't poke _those_ out with a spoon.

She stayed quiet as she guided the mess into something recognizable; once it was smoothed out, though, her mouth had other plans. "Tohru… how do you- how _would_ you, hypothetically..." Her words were getting tangled in the swirl of the spoon, it seemed, but she couldn't stop blathering. "If there's someone you've only given tomo-choco to, and _meant_ it as tomo-choco… how would you handle explaining why, this year, it's honmei-choco?"

She startled at the clunk of the spoon next to her and looked up. Tohru's face seemed oddly flushed, even given the heat of the stove.

"W-Well, that is… oh, I think mine is done now! A-And yours looks good too!" She grabbed potholders and moved her bowl back to the counter, onto a hot pad.

Arisa followed, anxiety fluttering. A baking sheet had been laid out for her to pour the dark chocolate onto.

It took no time, and Tohru handed her a knife with reverence, and now it was up to her what patterns to make.

After the first spoonful of white met dark, and Arisa slide the knife into it, Tohru spoke.

"You have to have courage, that's all. If you know they don't owe it to you to return your feelings, it's not selfish to confess. It's okay to hope, but... whether they like you back or not isn't a matter of _deserving_ something. They're their own person." Her voice was contemplative, almost unsure. But then she paused and caught Arisa's eyes. "You've known this girl for a while, right?"

"Nearly as long as I've known you," she whispered, dolloping more white in.

"Then… You'll be happy she's in your life, even if she wants to stay friends."

Arisa looked up again; Tohru wore a strangely pleading expression. "...Yeah." Then more firmly, returning to her task, "Yeah. We've been through… a lot, and I think even if she rejects me our friendship won't change."

"I hope so."

Had she spoken? No, Tohru had. Before Arisa could figure that out, Tohru was smiling widely down at her handiwork.

"It's beautiful." She took a breath. "Hana-chan will love it."

~~~~~

She put the bark into a plain box, tied with purple lace. She left it with an unsigned note in Hana's— Saki's— locker (because she was a living cliché), asking to meet her in the yard when the school day ended.

Seeing her there, with Arisa's heart in her hands, made everything Arisa had planned to say disappear.

"You should open it." She moved closer while Saki did. Close enough to touch her cheek if she were braver. Instead, she kept talking.

"This is honmei-choco. I made it. With Tohru's help, but..." She chuckled drily. "I know a heart-shaped box would've been plenty to clue you in. But I didn't just wanna buy something that looks extra pretty. This is— _you're_ too important."

Her pulse stuttered from Saki's hand around hers, from her gentle gaze.

"I understand now why your waves have been different the last few weeks," she said. Her cheeks were pink, and Arisa forgot to breathe for a moment. "I'm glad. You were braver than me."

Another laugh, incredulous. "I was _what?_ "

"You confessed first. I was too afraid of what might happen to our friendship if you didn't reciprocate."

"You've got it all wrong. I was terrified." She pulled her hand free of Saki's only to place it, lightly, on her shoulder. "I was just too bullheaded _not_ to say anything. But even if I didn't feel this way…" A sudden lump was in her throat; she swallowed, blinking fiercely. "I want you to know I wouldn't give up our friendship for anything."

Saki half-smiled, and reached into the box, breaking off a small piece. "Tohru wouldn't stand for it either."

"God, of course not." She grinned back, heart pounding. "It's a moot point, anyway."

"True." Saki looked at the piece intently before putting it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, eyes closed.

Arisa waited.

Slowly, Saki opened her eyes. Slowly, she brought her hand to Arisa's cheek. "It's delicious. Thank you very much." The pink on her face bloomed crimson. "...Arisa. May I kiss you?"

The lace against her skin made her want to tremble. "Saki." She inhaled shakily. "Yes, Saki. Please."

Arisa closed her eyes and leaned down. For a few seconds, everything was sweetness and warmth.

After, Saki's hand stayed on her cheek. Arisa put her own over it. "Happy Valentine's Day, Saki. Thank you."

"The happiest." Saki's bright smile was better than any sugar rush.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. I invite and appreciate feedback, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Keyboardmash and emojistorm comments
>   * Questions
>   * Prompts
>   * Image reactions
>   * Constructive criticism
>   * "<3" as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> I also reply to comments. But if you’d rather not receive a reply for any reason, sign your comment with “whisper” and I’ll just squee to myself about it. ^_^  
> Want/need help with something to write? [Find the LLF Comment Builder here!](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/post/170952243543/now-presenting-the-llf-comment-builder-beta)


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